Carton



Feb. 6, 1962 G. v. SKOWRONSKI CARTON Filed July 17, 1959 3,019,959CART'ON George V. lrowronsini, Neenah, Wis, assignor to American CanCompany, Jersey City, N.J., a corporation of New Eersey Filed July 17,1959, Ser. No. 827,863 1 Claim. (til. 229-45) This invention relates toa reclosable carton the cover of which under initial conditions isrestrained in the cartonclosed position. Cartons of the general typehere concerned find a multitude of uses, and customarily are formed ofpaperboard which may be printed, coated, laminated and otherwisevariously treated to provide particular characteristics of utility andappearance.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a paperboard cartonwhich is conveniently openable and may be many times reclosed, but whichis tamperproof in the sense that initial access to the contents of thecarton will be indicated by a readily visible fracture of the materialof which the carton is formed. Other particular objects and advantagesof the invention will become readily apparent from the followingdescription in connection with the attached drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a paperboard blank for forming a preferredembodiment of the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a finished carton formed from theblank of FIGURE 1, and

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view, similar to FIGURE 2, showing the cartonin cover-opened position.

Referring first to FIGURE 1, the carton preferably is formed from anintegral paperboard blank A suitably cut and scored to providereceptacle front, bottom and rear and cover main and front walls 10, 11,12, 13, and 14, respectively connected together along score lines 15,16, 17 and 18. Receptacle side walls 20 and 21 are connected to the sideedges of wall 11 along score lines 22 and 23, and have erection or glueflaps 24 and 25 connected to their respective side edges along scorelines 26 and 27.

Cover side walls or panels 30 and 31 are connected to the respectiveside edges of cover main panel 13 along score lines 32 and 33, and haveerection or glue flaps 34 and 35 connected to their respective forwardend edges along score lines 36 and 37. A connecting flap 38 which alsoserves as a tamper-indicating means is integrally connected to therearward edge of each of walls or panels 30 and 31 adjacent rear Wall 12along lines of weakness 39. These lines of weakness are adapted toprovide a ready means of severance or tearing of flaps 38 from walls orpanels 30 and 31 and preferably comprise perforation lines as shown,cut-score lines or the like.

Referring also to FIGURE 2, a carton is formed from the blank A byerecting walls 10, 12, 20 and 21 perpendicularly to bottom wall 11,flaps 24 and 25 preferably being folded inwardly and adhered by glue orother suitable means to the interior surface of walls and 12. Walls 14,30 and 31 are similarly erected perpendicularly to main wall 13, flaps34 and 35 preferably being folded to overlie the adjacent interiorsurface of wall 14 and adhered or otherwise secured thereto. Theformation of the carton thus far is conventional and consequently is notfurther shown or described in detail.

The erected carton may then be filled with any suitable product by handor by conventional machinery. The cover of the carton is then closedover the receptacle portion as shown in FIGURE 2, and flaps 38 arefolded States atent 0 around and adhered to the adjacent exteriorsurface of rear wall 12 by an adhesive or any other Suitable means. Itwill be clear that this construction provides a carton in which thecover is securely restrained in the closed position.

The carton is opened by lifting the cover portion at walls 14, 30 and/or31, which results in a severing or tearing of walls 30 and 31 fromconnecting flaps 38 along lines of weakness 39. The flaps 38 thus serveas visual tamper indicators when severed. The fact that this severancehas occurred is readily apparent, with the result that the originalpackage is tamperproof in the sense that any opening of the carton andtampering with the contents is quite apparent from even a superficialexamination of the carton itself. The carton cover may be repeatedlyreclosed for convenient and successive instances of access to thecontents.

Various modifications in the construction will be readily apparent tothose skilled in the art. For example, but without limitation, the sidewalls of the receptacle and cover portions may be connected to the frontand rear walls by web flaps to provide a degree of leakproofness, thefiaps 24, 25, 34, 35 and 38 may be connected to the respective walls byglue, heat or pressure-sensitive adhesives, staples or the like, or thecarton may in a conventional manner be made in a collapsible form. Forthis reason, althougha single preferred embodiment has been disclosed,it is to be understood that no limitation upon the scope of theinvention is intended except as set forth in the appended claim.

I claim:

A tamperproof and reclosable package made from an integral paperboardblank comprising a receptacle portion containing contents and a coverportion hingedly connected thereto; the receptacle portion includinghingedly connected front, rear, bottom and a pair of opposed side walls,means connecting the side walls to the front and rear walls along theiradjacent edges, the cover portion including a cover main wall hinged tothe upper edge of said rear wall and adapted to close the open top ofthe receptacle portion, cover front and side walls hingedly connected tosaid cover main wall and adapted to overlie the adjacent exteriorportions of the receptacle front and side walls respectively, and meansconnecting the cover side walls to the cover front wall along theiradjacent edges, and a connecting flap connected to each cover side wallat its end adjacent the rear wall along a line of tearing weakness bywhich it may be severed from the cover side wall, said connecting flapsoverlying and permanently adhered to adjacent exterior surfaces of thesaid receptacle rear wall, whereby said cover portion is retained inclosed position and is adapted to be opened only by hinging said coverportion open on said main cover wall hinge connection and severing saidconnecting flaps along said lines of tearing weakness, thereby providingvisual indication of tampering.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,090,559 Morrison Mar. 17, 1914 2,345,486 Leebov Mar. 28, 19442,369,391 Ringler Feb. 13, 1945 2,598,558 Kanty May 27, 1952 2,622,784Hammond Dec. 23, 1952 2,779,526 Vogt Jan. 29, 1957

